Facebook has blocked a mom over breastfeeding photos uploaded to a page she runs for new mothers, setting off a firestorm of debate and controversy. Kristy Kemp runs the support site Breastfeeding Mama Talk, which has drawn more than 4,300 fans, one of whom uploaded nursing images (below). Facebook reportedly responded by blocking Kemp, locking her out of the page she created and removing the image, which it said “violated” company policy. But a closer reading of the Facebook community standards makes this action seem dubious, and sparked backlash. Facebook rules for photos read: “Facebook has a strict policy against the sharing of pornographic content and any explicitly sexual content where a minor is involved. We also impose limitations on the display of nudity.” “We aspire to respect people’s right to share content of personal importance, whether those are photos of a sculpture like Michelangelo’s David or family photos of a child breastfeeding.” Yes, breastfeeding is specifically mentioned in the policy. As such, Kristy Kemp pressed the issue. After her 24-hour lockout ended, she immediately uploaded a photo of another mom breastfeeding her baby. It was also taken down in short order. Kemp told Fox40 : “It’s not right. I’m trying to do good for mothers and I’m getting kicked off for posting pictures of the most beautiful act a mother can do her for kid. It’s not right.” The issue of breastfeeding photos has come up before. Last year Facebook blocked mom Emma Kwasnica for uploading photos of herself breastfeeding. After the incident blew up, Facebook sent a clarification, nebulously citing a difference between some photos and those displaying a fully exposed breast. In Kemp’s case, media attention around the issue worked to her benefit after she was blocked. Facebook reinstated her account with an apology. No word if Facebook Home or the Facebook phone will carry a similarly confusing breastfeeding policy … but you can count on plenty of arbitrariness.
Give me a minute, I still have to pick my jaw up off the floor after seeing Lucy Pinder on the latest Loaded cover. Wow. That cleavage is so distracting I didn’t even notice the Pope outfit until the fourth time around. Anyway, if Lucy’s spread inside is anywhere near as hot as her cover, they’re going to have to sell this issue to people in a brown paper bag.
Transgender discrimination is real in the field… Even for elementary school kids! Just last week parents in Massachusetts were mad over trans kids being able to use any bathroom they want. But these parents are fighting to make sure their kid is treated like any other little girl. Via ABCNews Reports : Coy Mathis, born a male triplet, has behaved like a girl since she was 18 months old. When her brother Max was consumed with dinosaurs, she was playing with Barbie dolls. By 4, she was telling her mother that something was wrong with her body. When Coy began complaining about “something wrong” with her body, her parents took her to a specialist, who diagnosed gender identity disorder. Doctors recommended no immediate medical intervention but to let her “live as a girl,” he explained. “They spoke to the school and they said, ‘fine.’” Since being enrolled at Eagle Elementary School in Fountain, Colo., the 6-year-old has presented as female and wearing girls’ clothing. Her classmates and teachers have used female pronouns to refer to her, and she has used the girls’ bathrooms. But since December, school officials have told her parents she can no longer use the female facilities and ordered her to use the boys’ or nurse’s bathroom. “We want Coy to have the same educational opportunities as every other Colorado student,” said Kathryn Mathis, Coy’s mother. “Her school should not be singling her out for mistreatment just because she is transgender.” Now Jeremy and Kathryn Mathis, with the help of the Transgender Legal and Defense Education Fund (TLDEF), have filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division on behalf of Coy, alleging that the school has violated her rights. Since Christmas vacation, Coy has been homeschooled. “Our eye is focused on getting Coy back into school,” said TLDEF’s executive director Michael Silverman. “We are hopeful we can resolve this quickly for Coy’s sake.” The Mathis family and their supporters gathered at the State House in Denver Wednesday to bring media attention their action against the school. “The parents of Coy Mathis … have chosen to publicize this matter by appearing on a nationally televised show with their child, sharing their point of view with national and local media, and holding a public press conference to announce the filing of the charge,” the Fountain School District said in a prepared statement. “The district firmly believes it has acted reasonably and fairly with respect to this issue,” it said. “However [it] believes the appropriate and proper forum for discussing the issues identified in the charge is through the Division of Civil Rights process.” The school district said it would not comment further until they have formally responded to the charge. But a Dec. 12 letter from the school’s lawyers to TLDEF said, “The district’s decision took into account not only Coy but other students in the building, their parents, and the future impact a boy with male genitals using a girls’ bathroom would have as Coy grew older.” While other students and teachers do not notice that Coy has male genitals, the school said it feared as the child developed parents and students would become “uncomfortable.” “…It would be far more psychologically damaging and disruptive for the issue to arise at an age when students deal with social issues,” the letter said. The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination against transgender students in public schools. Coy’s parents worry that the school’s policy is setting their child up for stigma and bullying. “We have five children and we love them all very much,” said Kathryn Mathis. “We want Coy to return to school to be with her teachers, her friends, and her siblings, but we are afraid to send her back until we know that the school is going to treat her fairly. She is still just 6 years old, and we do not want one of our daughter’s earliest experiences to be our community telling her she’s not good enough.” The Mathis’ have a set of triplets and two other children, Dakota, 8, and Auri, 2. The father, Jeremy Mathis, 31, is a former Marine who was honorably discharged with injuries. Kathryn Mathis, 27, is a certified nurse assistant and takes care of Coy’s triplet, Lily who has been severely disabled since a viral infection after birth. She must be fed through an IV and is quadriplegic. It sounds like this family has a lot to contend with and we’re not sure why the school needs to get all into details about Coy’s “male genitals” being that girls bathrooms have stalls anyway! What the hell??? Who do you think is right on this issue?
Ga Ga is such a do-gooder! Lady Gaga is hitting the road and giving back at the same damn time. Our friends at Virgin Mobile just announced how the platinum singing star has teamed with them for a new tour: Virgin Mobile USA announced today that it is extending its award-winning relationship with Lady Gaga, and will be presenting her 2013 Born This Way Ball tour in North America. Through the partnership, Virgin Mobile will educate concert-goers on the issue of youth homelessness, calling on fans to step up to support both its Re*Generation program, which focuses on the issue, and Lady Gaga’s youth empowerment organization, Born This Way Foundation. One lucky fan selected at each show will have a $5,000 donation made to a local youth homeless shelter on his or her behalf – and then have the opportunity to increase the donation by spreading the word socially or volunteering for the cause. This fan will also get a special surprise from Mother Monster herself. Virgin Mobile will also be giving fans a variety of ways to get involved in helping raise money to make a difference. Fans at the shows will be encouraged to tweet pictures of themselves, and for every tweet Virgin Mobile USA will donate $1 to a local youth homeless shelter. In support of the Canadian tour stops, Virgin Mobile Canada will be motivating fans to donate to Re*Generation via a text-to-donate program. Virgin Mobile will also be working with Lady Gaga’s social network for fans, http://www.littlemonsters.com , to provide ways for them to get involved and donate to Re*Generation even if they aren’t attending the shows. Visit VirginMobileLive for more information.
ATL Mayor Kasim Reed Confirms Support Of Gay Marriage Following the foot steps of states like Washington, D.C., New York and Massachusetts, ATL mayor Kasim Reed has now confirmed that he is in support of gay marriage. via Politico In another sign of the rapid evolution of the politics of gay marriage, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced Tuesday that he supports marriage equality. “It is well known that I have gone through a good bit of reflection on this issue, but listening to the stories of so many people that I know and care about has strengthened my belief that marriage is a fundamental right for everyone. Loving couples, regardless of their sexual orientation, should have the right to marry whomever they want. By signing this resolution, I pledge my support to marriage equality for same-sex couples, consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.” Reed’s statement comes seven months after he explained that he is “still wrestling with my own personal beliefs on the issue of marriage,” the non-committal position he took after President Obama formally endorsed gay marriage in May. This is a pretty big deal for obvious reasons, including the fact that Mayor Reed did not initially back President Obama’s bombshell decision to publicly support same-sex marriage. Would your state official’s change of heart on this issue have an effect on your own stance? Image via Shutterstock
“It’s okay if I can’t do every single thing. I finally understand that it doesn’t make me a lesser artist or human being…” –Alicia Keys, ESSENCE Alicia Keys keeps on promo ho’ing… The Grammy winner is on the cover of the January issue of Essence magazine where she admits she can’t be the “Superwoman” she once aspired to be: “It’s okay if I can’t do every single thing. I finally understand that it doesn’t make me a lesser artist or human being…” –Alicia Keys, ESSENCE Here’s more more info from the issue: With her fifth studio album recently released and a worldwide tour to prepare for…Alicia Keys is busy! Here, the 14-time Grammy Award-winning artist, AIDS activist, wife and mom talks to ESSENCE about spiritual makeovers—and how she learned to say no in order to create a more balanced approach to her world. Keys—who lives in SoHo with her husband, producer Swizz Beatz, and their 2-year-old son, Egypt—also talks about being unprepared for Hurricane Sandy. After scrounging through the cupboards, scrambling to find something to eat that didn’t require cooking, she shares: “…After the third or fourth tuna fish sandwich, and after we learned we’d be without power for a week, I called my mother, who lives Uptown. She was okay and hadn’t lost any power, so we ended up going to her house. We were pretty lucky…” Considering some folks lost their lives and their homes we’d say yes, she and Swizzy and Egypt are very blessed. Will you be picking up this issue? Do you still love Alicia Keys? The January issue of ESSENCE hits stands on December 7th. For more on this issue, visit ESSENCE.com.
‘I was looking to hear about how he plans to approach the issue of immigration,’ one Georgetown student tells MTV News. By Gil Kaufman President Barack Obama during “Ask Obama” Photo: MTV News
